July 15th

Scarlett

“Scarlett, dear, why don’t you tell me what’s going on,” Mrs. Smith said as she sat down in the living room of my cabin. I sat down across from her. Wearing a T-shirt and shorts, I was a bit out of my element. I always thought I was going to be fighting on the frontlines here should it ever come to conflict. Yet despite that, I felt like Quentin was getting a bit overprotective. Like, just because I had to be careful didn’t mean I couldn’t still shoot my guns. Perhaps I could wear a bit more protection and stay near the back.

Clearing the thoughts out of my head, I looked at Mrs. Smith and smiled. “I’m pregnant, and your son is the father. To be honest, this is simultaneously the greatest yet scariest time of my life. Can you give me some guidance through these challenging times?”

Mrs. Smith nodded her head. “Of course, Scarlett. Pregnancy is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. I can imagine you’re looking forward to your new son or daughter, correct?”

I nodded my head and looked down at my belly. “Yes. While it’s a bit earlier than I thought it would happen, I’m nonetheless excited to have a family with the best husband in the world.”

“I’ll dispute you on that last point,” Mrs. Smith joked, “as I have the best husband in the world.” We laughed together at her joke. She then shook her head and said, “On a more serious note, that’s great news! It’s clear that you want to be a mother and now you get to be.” She pulled out a list and said, “We have a lot to go through before the baby arrives. Firstly, do you have a doctor in Eastlake?”

I scratched my chin and shook my head. “No. Honestly, I’ve been busy with my business and Quentin has been busy running the small settlement. I don’t think I should selfishly occupy a doctor’s time.”

Mrs. Smith scowled. “Scarlett Rose Campbell Smith!” My ears pinned against my head as she continued shouting. “It is not selfish to seek out a doctor during pregnancy! In fact, it’s selfless as you show determination to make sure your little one is well tended to! We have several obstetricians on planet to take care of new mothers and there are some other women who are also pregnant already! I know you feel like you’re spoiled, but you need to look after yourself first! You can’t do any good in the world if you’re weak, helpless, or dead!”

“Yes, Mrs. Smith. I understand,” I quietly replied with shame. “I just… I’ve just been a bit frantic recently with all that happened and my brother being a traitor. My sister tried to kill me before coming here and my parents are gone, my mother’s fate unknown.”

Mrs. Smith slowly walks towards me before hugging me. “My daughter,” she softly said as she looked at me, “you’ve had a rough life. I wouldn’t wish what happened to you on my worst enemy. Having your whole life set out for you only for aliens to make you an experiment and slave, losing your family wealth, and losing your family must be traumatic.”

“Thank you, Mom,” I replied as I hugged her. She was my mother-in-law, but she felt like another mother figure in my life. Quentin was lucky to have her as his mother. My mother wasn’t too bad, but it’s clear that Dad’s death really devastated her.

Mrs. Smith smiled as she patted my back. “There, there. Do you feel better now?”

I nodded as my eyes teared up, but I quickly wiped them away.

“Good,” she said as she sat back down in her chair. “Now then, let’s start discussing your cravings. What is it that you crave?”

I scratched my head. “I’ve been craving chocolate recently, as well as cake. I’ve also been wanting blueberries and beef, but I don’t think there’s a way to satisfy both. In fact, I don’t think I can satisfy any of my cravings due to the lack of specialized food production on the planet.”

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Mrs. Smith nodded and replied, “I see. Fortunately for you, I brought along a chocolate bar with me on my way here.” She pulled out the bar.

The crinkle of the wrapping made my ears perk as my nose sniffed the air of its own accord. It had been so long since I’ve had the delicious brown treat that I didn’t know if it was pregnancy craving or a normal craving. The luxurious bliss called out my name, making me desire it more. I extended my arms and said, “Yes, I want the chocolate. Please hand it to me.”

Mrs. Smith laughed as she handed me the chocolate bar. I grabbed the wrapper and ripped it open, placing the bar in my snout before snapping a good-sized piece off. The slice of brown ambrosia melted on my tongue, making my taste buds dance. I let out a sigh of relaxation as the worries of the past year seemed to melt away. Memories of my childhood resurfaced, of when I would beg for chocolate at the store every time.

Mrs. Smith leaned back and said, “You know, perhaps we should’ve brought all our chocolate with us. You seem to really love it.”

My furry cheeks blushed as I embarrassedly shoved the rest of the chocolate bar into my mouth. “I’m sorry,” I said while chewing on my chocolate bar, “it has just been a long time since I had one. It brought back memories.”

“That’s fine, sweetheart,” Mrs. Smith said as she looked at me with joy. “That reaction reminds me of when Quentin was a little boy and would constantly beg for sweets at the story. He would give me puppy dog eyes and beg for it like his life depended on it. On the bright side, at least he never cried.”

“That was better than me when I was a little girl,” I replied while suppressing a chuckle. “I would cry and scream my head off, shouting that I hated my parents and wished I had better parents who would give me candy. Honestly, I’m rather shocked that I’m the sanest of my siblings.”

Mrs. Smith smiled. “Honestly, that’s just normal child behavior. By the way, prepare to deal with that in the future. Children can be such brats so it’s better to prepare to deal with bratty behavior before it’s too late.”

I pulled out a pen and paper and wrote that down. “Anything else to be aware of when childrearing?”

Mrs. Smith sighed and said, “I’ll tell you when it gets closer to the time but do remember to lay babies on their backs when putting them to sleep.”

I wrote that down. “Got it! Lay babies on their backs! Now then, back to pregnancy tips?”

Mrs. Smith nodded. “Of course! At about eighteen to twenty weeks into your pregnancy, an ultrasound will be able to find the gender of the baby. I suggest you start decorating the nursery then if you want a specific color scheme based on if the baby is a boy or a girl. That and perhaps we can see if the baby will look like you or my son.”

I nodded. “I was planning on that anyways. I’ve already designated a room and have ordered a crib online. I’m waiting to get baby toys later. Anything else?”

“Take it easy. Do some light exercises such as walking or swimming. Remember, this is a special period of your life, and you want to make sure to stay healthy while ensuring your child’s wellbeing.”

“Got it, anything else?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“Get regular screenings and see the doctor should anything happen,” Mrs. Smith said with a slight frown. “A few years ago, my sister discovered that her pregnancy ended midway through, breaking her heart but it at least was detected early so it didn’t become a risk to her life. While I do not think the same will happen to you, be prepared for if things go wrong.”

I nodded with a frown. That was a heartbreaking story to hear about, but it was important. “Anything else?”

Mrs. Smith wiped away some tears from her last story before saying, “Remember to take some time off from work. I know you want to rebuild your family wealth, but too much stress is harmful for your baby. Remember what truly matter in life and perhaps you can both material wealth and a wealth in love and family.”

I wrote that down as well. I was approaching six digits in credits with almost a million invested in different construction projects, which meant I had some fallback for when I needed to take maternity leave. “I think I’ll take my leave once I’m a few weeks away from the due date and will return to work once the baby is weaned off of me. Any recommendations for babysitters?”

“That’s too far in advance for you to worry about,” she replied as she shook her head. “You’re doing well and I hope the best for your family. Remember, take care of yourself and your child will do fine. I’m excited to meet my first grandchild, even if he or she will be covered in fur.” She stood up and shook my hand before hugging me. “Remember, I’ll visit you every so often to make sure you’re okay.”

I hugged her back. “Thanks a lot, Mom. I can’t wait until my child is born either. The child will have an amazing grandmother to spoil them.”

As Mrs. Smith turned on the TV to watch it, I was filled with joy. My little miracle was going to be brought into the world, and he or she was going to have the greatest father and grandparents to look forward to.